What was Joseph to do in such a perplexing situation? Mary was found to be pregnant and he was not the father. Did he suspect that Mary had been unfaithful to him? Or did he believe himself to be unworthy of being part of the plan that God was working though Mary? I don’t know. But either way, he had a tough decision to make. Scripture says that he pondered (enthumeomai) this situation (Mt 1:20). Ultimately he decided upon divorcing Mary “quietly”, which is to say – not publicly. While he made the best decision he could with what he knew, it still wound up being the incorrect one. The angel visited him and told him to take Mary as his wife. He obeyed. We see here that even saints can find themselves in situations where they aren’t sure how to act. Sometimes our own judgement is not enough, we need God to enlighten our minds to follow him on the path he calls us. If this is the case, then St. Joseph is a perfect patron for us to go to when we find ourselves in perplexing situations. If he needed special help to know God’s will, then what compassion and understanding would he have for us in the same situation. And so, we can confidently ask St. Joseph the “righteous man” (Mt 1:19) for his prayers. After all, scripture tells us “the prayer of a righteous man has great power” (James 5:16). On December 8th, Pope Francis released a new apostolic letter about St. Joseph called Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart). In this letter he reveals that “every day, for over forty years” he himself has recited a prayer to Saint Joseph, requesting his help. He explains that this prayer “expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph.” Perhaps we may wish to use this same prayer ourselves:
Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power makes the impossible possible, come to my aid in these times of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the serious and troubling situations that I commend to you, that they may have a happy outcome. My beloved father, all my trust is in you. Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power. Amen.